Brian Flahaven

In lieu of this month’s office hours, I’ve asked Chris FitzGerald and Brittney Wright, Mayor Gray’s Ward 6 Outreach and Service Specialists, to join me for a walk around the neighborhood this Wed., June 22, 6:30 pm. Please join us! Chris and Brittney may also bring some agency representatives with them (DDOT, DPW, etc.).

We will begin the walk in front of the new Blue Star Memorial sign on the southeast corner of 17th Street SE and Potomac Ave. SE. Please bring your questions and concerns. And if you would like us to walk by a particular problem area in 6B09, please post below or e-mail me.

See you on Wednesday!

Police Service Area redistricting was the main topic at last night’s PSA 107 meeting. Around 15-20 residents joined Lt. Michael Thornton and Acting Commander Alisa Petty at Liberty Baptist Church. Here is a brief recap:

• Lt. Thornton announced that MPD Chief Cathy Lanier had named Inspector Alisa Petty Acting Commander of the First District.  Acting Commander Petty, who replaces the recently retired Commander David Kamperin, will stay in that position until Chief Lanier selects a permanent commander.
• Acting Commander Petty discussed proposed changes to the Police Service Area boundaries in the First District. PSA 107 will be expanding, adding area north of East Capitol Street. View the new boundary map.
• With the expansion, PSA 107 will move from being the area with the second lowest number of crime calls to the area with the second highest number of crime calls. The goal of PSA redistricting is to try and equalize the number of crime calls across all PSAs. Both Acting Commander Petty and Lt. Thornton assured residents that PSA 107 would be given the resources it needs (officers, equipment, etc.) to handle the increased number of calls. They also said that PSA 107 officers would be able to cover the expanded geographic area without hurting response time.
• Acting Commander Petty said that Chief Lanier is still taking comments and suggestions on the proposed PSA boundary lines. The goal is to have the new boundaries take effect sometime this fall.
• Overall crime is down 23 percent year-to-date over last year. There has been a 30 percent reduction in violent crime and a 22 percent decrease in property crime.
• Burglaries are up 109 percent year-to-date over last year (11 by June 2010 versus 23 by June 2011). There was an uptick in burglaries earlier in the year that has recently leveled off. MPD has recently made some significant burglary arrests. Unlocked windows on the ground floor are the main points of entry. Lt. Thornton also mentioned that individuals are knocking on doors to see if residents are home before attempting to break-in.
• Robberies are also up 15 percent, though MPD has closed a number of these cases. Many involve individuals who know each other.
• Lt. Thornton said that calls reporting suspicious activity are up in PSA 107. He asks that residents keep the calls coming….don’t worry if it is a false alarm. Its better to have MPD check out a suspicious situation.
• MPD continues to make traffic arrests in the PSA.  I thanked MPD for stepped up enforcement on 17th Street SE and at the corner of 18th St. SE, E St. SE and Potomac Ave. SE.
• Residents asked that MPD work with Protective Services to get better data on crime at Reservation 13. Acting Commander Petty said that she would reach out to Protective Services.
• The next PSA 107 meeting will be on Thursday, July 21, 7pm, at Liberty Baptist Church, 527 Kentucky Ave. SE.  

Last night’s three hour ANC 6B meeting was dominated by discussion of whether the commission should support a liquor license for the Hill Center, the new community center that is opening next month in the Old Naval Hospital building on Pennsylvania Avenue. Here are the highlights:

• During commission announcements, I thanked the community and the commission for supporting efforts to keep Hill East united in Ward 6 during the redistricting battle. I also announced that Commissioner Francis Campbell (6B10) had agreed to serve as vice chair of the new Hill East Task Force (I serve as chair). The task force will hold its first meeting in the next few weeks (more details to come).
• The full commission unanimously approved (8-0) the ANC 6B Resolution in Opposition to Bill 19-219. The resolution was initially passed during an emergency executive committee meeting on Memorial Day, prior to both the June 1 redistricting hearing and the redistricting subcommittee’s decision to move the ward boundary to 19th Street.
• Chris Taylor and Reggie Woodson of Pepco discussed the company’s plans to install smart meters on all Capitol Hill homes by the end of the year. The new meters will allow residents to easily view their energy consumption online and will immediately alert Pepco when power goes out. In most cases, meter installation (a 5 minute process) will take place regardless of whether the homeowner is home or not. Representatives will leave door tags requesting the owner schedule an appointment if inside access is required. Residents will be notified two weeks in advance and can call 202-833-7500 if they would prefer to schedule an appointment for the new meter installation.
• Mackenzie Baris of the Respect DC Coalition discussed their efforts to ensure Walmart is providing community benefits to all DC residents. She distributed a sample resolution that the commission could consider in the future that would urge the city to establish standards that Walmart must meet to operate in DC.
• In the night’s “main event,” the commission unanimously supported (8-0) a request by the Old Naval Hospital Foundation for a new liquor license for the Hill Center, contingent on a signed voluntary agreement. The Center, represented by former city councilmember Sharon Ambrose and Old Naval Hospital Foundation President Nicky Cymrot, made significant concessions:
  • Alcohol service hours in the outside summer garden were reduced from 7 am – 12 am daily to 7 am – 9 pm Sunday-Thursday,  7 am – 10 pm on Friday and Saturday.
  • Outside entertainment would end at 8:00 pm Sunday-Thursday and 9:00 pm on Friday and Saturday.
  • Outside capacity after 8 pm was reduced from 500 to 300.
  • Valet parking would be required for events with 30 or more people.
  • Inside hours of operation were reduced by an hour – the Center would close Sunday-Thursday at 1:00 am and Friday-Saturday at 2:00 am. Ambrose and Cymrot both said that they did not anticipate having indoor events beyond midnight.

  Despite concessions by the Hill Center, around a dozen residents continued to ask for further concessions, including no outside amplification or entertainment and inside operating hours that mirrored the outside hours (9:00 pm close on weekdays, 10:00 pm close on weekends). We also heard predictions of drunken Hill Center patrons parading down streets and strewing trash.

  I voted to support the Hill Center voluntary agreement. City funds were used to restore the Old Naval Hospital for the benefit of the community. If the Hill Center fails, the city will be on the hook. Special events will help the Center earn the revenue it needs to achieve its mission and offer community programs. In my view, the Hill Center made significant concessions – they were asked under stricter standards than restaurants on Barracks Row – and clearly understood that it is in their best interest to have a good relationship neighbors. We should not further tie the hands of the Center before it even opens…and I trust that the Center staff will be responsive if problems arise.

• Due to time constraints, the commission postponed a final vote to July on whether to recommend that the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) approve a special exception to allow Chipotle Mexican Restaurant to open on Barracks Row. Chipotle’s hearing before the BZA is on July 19. Chipotle representatives did talk about their commitment to the community and their intent to support efforts to maintain Barracks Row.
• I was disappointed that the commission once again postponed action on a formal resolution in opposition to a liquor license moratorium on Barracks Row. Action was postponed because Commissioner Dave Garrison (6B01) requested a significant amount of time to ask questions and make comments on the resolution.  Given time constraints, the commission agreed to table the resolution until July. I’m not sure why Commissioner Garrison waited until the meeting to raise his concerns. ANC 6B’s Retail Mix Task Force recommendations have been publicly available since February. Action on the resolution is overdue.
• Recommendations from the ANC 6B Transportation Committee and the Eastern Market Report were also tabled until the July meeting.

A reminder that ANC 6B’s Outreach and Constituent Services Task Force will hold its first meeting tonight (Wed., June 15), 7:00 pm at the ANC 6B Office, 703 D Street SE (across from the Eastern Market Metro Plaza). Please stop by and share your ideas on how the commission can do a better job of communicating with residents.

• The June ANC 6B Meeting will take place tomorrow (Tues., June 14), 7:00 pm at the Church of Jesus Christ of LDS (522 7th Street SE). In addition to voting on the ANC 6B Redistricting Resolution adopted by the ANC 6B Executive Committee, the commission will consider a special exception for a Chipotle restaurant, a liquor license for the Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, and a resolution in opposition to a liquor license moratorium for Barracks Row. You can view the full agenda on the ANC 6B website.
• Commissioner Brian Pate (6B05) will be hosting the first ANC 6B Outreach & Constituency Services Task Force Meeting on Wed., June 15, 7:00 pm at the ANC 6B Office, 703 D Street SE. The task force is charged with helping the commission find ways to better communicate with residents. If you are interested in serving on the task force, please e-mail me and/or plan to attend Wed.’s meeting.
• Our monthly PSA 107 Meeting with Lt. Michael Thornton is on Thursday, June 16, 7:00 pm at Liberty Baptist Church, 527 Kentucky Ave. SE. In addition to the latest crime trends, Lt. Thornton will also discuss MPD’s new police service area boundaries. Note that the new PSA 107 will extend north to Benning Road NE.

• The DC Council will vote on the proposed redistricting plan at 1:00 pm today in Room 500 of the Wilson Building (1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW). You can view the proceedings on the DC Council website (click on the “Watch Hearings Live” link then on “Room 500”).
• ANC 6B’s Planning & Zoning Committee will meet tonight at 7:00 pm at St. Coletta’s School (1901 Independence Ave. SE). The committee will be discussing the cases below. If you have any comments, please post them below or e-mail me directly.
• Home Run Classic 10K – Kathy Dalby, Pacers Event Manager
• HPA # 11-224,801 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE– Verizon Wireless Rooftop Antennas Installation
• HPA # 11-242, 212 7^th Street, SE, Acqua Al 2) – One-story rear addition to enclose existing patio for additional seating
• BZA # 18238, 413-415 8^th Street, SE – Special exception to allow a fast food restaurant (Chipotle Mexican Grill) in the CHC/C-2A District
• ANC 6B’s Alcholic Beverage Committee will meet Thursday, June 9, 7:00 pm at the Southeast Library (403 7th Street SE). Make sure you use the first floor entrance on the 7th Street side of the library, behind CVS Pharmacy.